Laurence Fox Loses High Court Libel Case Over ‘Paedophile’ Defamation
Laurence Fox arriving at the Royal Courts Of Justice, central London, for his libel trial. Mr Fox is being sued by former Stonewall trustee Simon Blake and drag artist Crystal, also known as Colin Seymour. Mr Fox is countersuing the pair along with actress Nicola Thorp. Picture date: Wednesday November 22, 2023. (Press Association via AP Images)
Actor-turned-political activist Laurence Fox lost his libel case Monday after defamatory comments made against two individuals during a Twitter spat involving supermarket Sainsbury’s support for Black History Month in 2020.
Fox, founder of the Reclaim Party and ex-GB News host, was sued by Simon Blake, former trustee at LGBTQ+ rights charity Stonewall, and ex-Drag Race UK star Crystal, also known as Colin Seymour.
The case was sparked by Fox’s objection to Sainsbury’s decision to create a safe space for black employees. He accused the supermarket of promoting racial segregation, leading him to be labelled racist by Blake and Seymour.
Fox retaliated by calling Blake, Seymour, and broadcaster Nicola Thorp “paedophiles.” This led to the libel action, with Fox counter-suing after being branded a racist.
During the trial, Lorna Skinner KC, representing the trio, argued that Fox is a racist, citing his controversial social media activity, including a tweet arranging pride flags in a swastika shape. However, Judge Mrs Justice Collins Rice did not rule on whether Fox was a racist, focusing instead on the “paedophile” allegation.
The claimants asserted that Fox’s actions caused them significant distress. Seymour, a Canadian artist, reported overwhelming abuse post Fox’s tweet, feeling unsafe as a drag performer. Blake, now CEO of Mental Health First Aid England, condemned the suggestion that gay men were paedophiles as an outdated stereotype. Thorp claimed Fox outed himself as a racist, arguing that any reputational harm he suffered was self-inflicted.
Fox’s defence, represented by Patrick Green KC, said the tweets were a response to being called a racist and didn’t lead people to believe Blake and Seymour were paedophiles. Fox expressed his horror at being labelled a racist, describing it as a “career-ending word.” He claimed this accusation led to a significant decline in his acting career, that he lost roles in Succession and with Disney as a result, as well as financial losses, and personal distress, including faeces posted through his door and concerns for his children’s safety with ex-wife actress Billie Piper.
